Polishing apparatus



B. C. SKINNER.

POLISHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I, 1922.

Patented June 20, 1922.

fi V612 i 01 i aeooea omens mm BRONSON C. SKINNER, 0F DUNEDIN, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR TO SKINNER MACHINERY COMPANY, OF DUNEDIN, FLORIDA, A CORPORATION OF FLORIDA.

POLISHING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters'Patent.

Patented June 20, 1922.

Application filed February 1, 1922. Serial No. 533,486.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BRONSON C. SKrNNnR, a citizen of the United States, residin at Dunedin, in the county of Pinellas and tate of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Polishing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for polishing fruit, particularly citrus fruit.

This invention has for its principal object to provide a polisher of the rotating brush type, wherein the fruit is polished as conveyed through the apparatus by the movement of the brushes and is rotated during its movement on an axis parallel to that of the brushes and also on axes disposed at an angle to that of the rotation of the brushes.

The invention consists broadly in providing pairs of parallel rotatable polishing brushes, the surface of each of which is spirally grooved with the pitch of one at an angle different to the pitch of the adjacent brush and causing the fruit when conveyed in the spiral by the brushes rotating at the same speed to revolve on many different axes during its travel lengthwise of the brushes.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claim hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claim ma be resorted to without departing from tlie spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

To more fully comprehend the invention, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1. is a view in plan of a polishing apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention, illustrating the polishing rollers having spirals of different pitch.

- Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts1 indicates a frame mounting the parallel spaced brush spindles 2 from opposite ends of which proect the trunnions 3 carried in bearings 4 assoclated with the end members of the frame 1. Corresponding trunnions 3 are each connected through a bevelled driving gear 5 with a transverse operating shaft 6 driven by power from any suitable source applled thereto through the wheel 7 Each of the spindles 2 mounts throughout its entire length and circumference radially disposed brush material or bristles 8 of a sufficient length to cause the interengagement of the ends of bristles of adjacent brushes, and the surface of the brushes is spirally grooved for the full length of each brush, as at 9, but it will be observed that the pitch of the spiral of brushesl', 3 and 5' is greater than the pitch of brushes 2', 4 and 6'.

This construction causes the fruit acted on by the brushes to be rotated on an axis at rlght angles to the axis of rotation of the brushes as well as on an axis parallel with that of the brushes. During this brushing of the fruit it will be observed that all surfaces are acted on in the turning of the fruit, which is caused by the crowding of the fruit between the faster and slower travelling spirals.

The fruit to be polished is fed to the apparatus by means of the feed trough or member 10, and is conveyed therefrom in any suitable manner, as by a runway 11.

I claim 1- A polishing apparatus comprising a plurality of rotatably mounted parallel brushes, adjacent brushes forming between them a fruit runway, said brushes formed with a peripheral spiral pitched in the same direction, the pitch of the spiral of one brush being greater than the pitch of the spiral of an adjacent brush, and means for rotating said brushes in the same direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

BRONSON C. SKINNER. 

